James G. Grote

Enhanced emission efficiency in organic light-emitting diodes using deoxyribonucleic acid complex as an electron blocking layer

Enhanced electroluminescent efficiency using a deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) complex as an electron blocking (EB) material has been demonstrated in both green- and blue-emitting organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). The resulting so-called BioLEDs showed a maximum luminous efficiency of 8.2 and 0.8cd∕A, respectively. The DNA-based BioLEDs were as much as 10× more efficient and 30× brighter than their OLED counterparts.

Bio-organic-semiconductor-field-effect-transistor based on deoxyribonucleic acid gate dielectric

Organic-based field-effect transistors (OFETs) utilize organic semiconductor materials with low electron mobilities and organic gate oxide materials with low dielectric constants. These have rendered devices with slow operating speeds and high operating voltages, compared with their inorganic silicon-based counter parts. Using a deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)-based biopolymer, derived from salmon milt and roe sac waste by-products, for the gate dielectric region, we have fabricated an OFET device that exhibits very promising current-voltage characteristics compared with using other organic-based dielectrics. With minimal optimization, using a thin film of DNA-based biopolymer as the gate insulator and pentacene as the semiconductor, we have demonstrated a bio-organic-FET, or BiOFET, in which the current was modulated over three orders of magnitude using gate voltages less than 10V.

Processing techniques for deoxyribonucleic acid: Biopolymer for photonics applications

Marine-based deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), purified from waste products of the Japanese fishing industry, has recently become a material of interest in photonics applications. Using highly purified DNA, unique processing techniques developed specifically to transform the purified DNA into a biopolymer suitable for optical device fabrication are reported.

Photoluminescence and lasing from deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) thin films doped with sulforhodamine

Thin solid films of salmon deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) have been fabricated by treatment with a surfactant and used as host for the laser dye sulforhodamine (SRh). The DNA films have an absorption peak at approximately 260 nm owing to absorption by the nitrogenous aromatic bases. The SRh molecules in the DNA films have absorption and emission peaks at 578 and 602 nm, respectively. The maximum emission was obtained at approximately 1 wt. % SRh in DNA, equivalent to approximately 100 DNA base pairs per SRh molecule. A distributed feedback grating structure was fabricated on a SiO(2)-Si substrate using interference lithography. The grating period of 437 nm was selected, corresponding to second-order emission at the amplified spontaneous emission wavelength of 650 nm. Lasing was obtained by pumping with a doubled Nd:YAG laser at 532 nm. The lasing threshold was 3 microJ, corresponding to approximately 30 microJ/cm(2) or 4 kW/cm(2). The emission linewidth decreased from approximately 30 nm in the amplified spontaneous emission mode to <0.4 nm (instrument limited) in the lasing mode. The slope efficiency of the lasing was approximately 1.2%.

White Luminescence from Multiple‐Dye‐Doped Electrospun DNA Nanofibers by Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer

A DNA spin-off: Electrospinning of DNA complexes gives nanofibers with a highly ordered morphology that allows homogeneous distribution of encapsulated multiple chromophores. The emission color can be controlled by suitable choice of the donor-acceptor pair and the doping ratio. Pure white-light emission from nanofibers is demonstrated (see picture).

Bio-organic field effect transistors based on crosslinked deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) gate dielectric

Using DNA-based biopolymers purified from salmon waste, as an insulating layer, bio-organic field effect transistor (BiOFET) devices were fabricated. Such devices exhibit current-voltage characteristics with low operational voltages as compared with using other organic dielectrics. The observed hysteresis in transfer characteristics of such BiOFETs can be reduced using a crosslinking process. Such crosslinked DNA complex is used as a gate dielectric in n-type C60 as well as p-type α-sexithiophene (T6) based BiOFETs.

Highly Efficient Quantum-Dot Light-Emitting Diodes with DNA−CTMA as a Combined Hole-Transporting and Electron-Blocking Layer

Owing to their narrow bright emission band, broad size-tunable emission wavelength, superior photostability, and excellent flexible-substrate compatibility, light-emitting diodes based on quantum dots (QD-LEDs) are currently under intensive research and development for multiple consumer applications including flat-panel displays and flat lighting. However, their commercialization is still precluded by the slow development to date of efficient QD-LEDs as even the highest reported efficiency of 2.0% cannot favorably compete with their organic counterparts. Here, we report QD-LEDs with a record high efficiency (approximately 4%), high brightness (approximately 6580 cd/m(2)), low turn-on voltage (approximately 2.6 V), and significantly improved color purity by simply using deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) complexed with cetyltrimetylammonium (CTMA) (DNA-CTMA) as a combined hole transporting and electron-blocking layer (HTL/EBL). This, together with controlled thermal decomposition of ligand molecules from the QD shell, represents a novel combined, but simple and very effective, approach toward the development of highly efficient QD-LEDs with a high color purity.

Effect of conductivity and dielectric constant on the modulation voltage for optoelectronic devices based on nonlinear optical polymers

Presented is the effect of using various cladding materials with different conductivities and dielectric constants on the applied voltage for optoelectronic (OE) devices based on nonlinear optical (NLO) polymers. Using a conductive polymer, we have demonstrated a 3 to 13 times increase in the effective electro-optic (EO) coefficient of electrode- poled NLO polymers, compared to using passive polymer claddings. We have achieved the lowest poling voltage to date for maximum EO coefficient, 300 V, for a two-layer waveguide structure consisting of a 2-?m- thick NLO polymer layer and a 2-?m-thick conductive cladding layer. The dielectric constants of both the NLO polymer core and passive polymer cladding materials used for conventional polymer-based integrated optic devices are typically very similar in magnitude. This suggests that only a small fraction of the applied modulation voltage is reaching the NLO polymer core layer, requiring 4 to 5 times higher modulation voltage than the desired V?. We have demonstrated a factor-of-2 decrease in the modulation voltage using the same conductive polymer, due to its possessing a much higher dielectric constant than the core material at the modulation frequency tested. The results show promise for shorter, lower-operating-voltage devices.

Performance of an electro-optic waveguide modulator fabricated using a deoxyribonucleic-acid-based biopolymer

An electro-optic (EO) planar waveguide modulator using a deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)-based biopolymer for both the waveguide core and cladding layers has been fabricated and its performance evaluated. A cross-linked DNA-surfactant biopolymer was used for the top and bottom cladding layers and the core layer was a cross-linked DNA-surfactant biopolymer with 3wt% Disperse Red 1. The EO coefficient r33 was induced through contact poling. The fabricated device was found to exhibit EO modulating behavior. Using an estimated value of r33=0.5pm∕V, a sine-squared fit to the modulating data was obtained with Vπ=263V±10%.

DNA Photonics [Deoxyribonucleic Acid]

ABSTRACT Purified deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) derived from salmon and scallop sperm has demonstrated excellent passive and active optical properties. Characterization of the optical and electromagnetic properties of DNA suggests suitability for photonic applications. One of interesting features of DNA we discovered was an intercalation of aromatic compounds into stacked layers within the double helix of DNA molecules. We found that various optical dyes inserted into the double helix of DNA molecules rendered active optical waveguide materials with excellent nonlinear optical properties. Our research included the investigation of DNA for use as an optical waveguide material as well as intercalation of fluorescent dyes, photochromic dyes, nonlinear optic chromophores, two photon dyes and rare earth compounds into DNA for use as a nonlinear optical material.